This four-conductor-shielded configuration can best be thought of as two twisted pairs twisted together. Using four small conductors in place of two large ones allows the loop area of the cable to be further reduced and its rejection of electromagnetic interference (EMI) is improved by a factor of ten (20 dB). This makes starquad cable very popular for microphones and balanced lines used in applications such as television production, where huge amounts of power cable for lighting and camera equipment surround the performers.

This four-conductor-shielded configuration can best be thought of as two twisted pairs twisted together. Using four small conductors in place of two large ones allows the loop area of the cable to be further reduced and its rejection of electromagnetic interference (EMI) is improved by a factor of ten (20 dB). This makes starquad cable very popular for microphones and balanced lines used in applications such as television production, where huge amounts of power cable for lighting and camera equipment surround the performers.